Email best practices
Shock and horror – you’re sending out a Halloween email campaign but can’t think of any good subject lines… The scariest part? 47% of your audience open emails judged on your subject line alone.
Fear not – we’ve got you covered.
Here, we’ll show you some shockingly good Halloween email subject lines from your industry and share our recipe for higher open rates. Then, we’ll head to the lab, run through some A/B tests, and discover why data should decide your Halloween-style subject line. You can come out from under the bed now.
You have around 40 characters to convince your reader to open an email. No pressure.
Knowing your audience is key. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to email subject lines, but you can definitely draw inspiration from what other brands are doing.
Get your creative juices flowing with these email subject line examples from different industries.
Everyone loves a “spooktacular deal.” Online shops are in a prime position to offer scary savings and Halloween flash sales. Sometimes, a short mysterious message is enough to pique a reader’s curiosity. Or, you could be cheeky and ask the reader a direct question – come on, what are you scared of?
Check out these creative Halloween subject lines from ecommerce and retail brands:
Larger tech companies generally want to be perceived as thought leaders, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a geeky side too. They might not take it as far as ecommerce businesses, but tech brands also know how to get into the Halloween spirit.
Here are some Halloween subject lines from the tech industry:
In comparison, startups are trying to be seen as less corporate and will get away with a more “buddy-buddy” vernacular.
A Halloween party is nothing without Halloween treats. Tempt your customers this season with tantalizing offers or content they can’t refuse. From trick or treating to parties and movie gatherings, make it clear there are savings to be made in your subject line. Recipe guides are another very popular method to attract users into your email.
Get Halloween subject line ideas from these top food and spirits brands:
The battle for our attention is fierce around Halloween and you only have one seventh of a Tweet to work with. Curiosity is your best weapon, but that doesn’t mean going too vague or your email will just sound generic. The best email subject lines tease out content. Use imperative words like “see”, “fall into”, or “go” to encourage readers to open the email.
Draw inspiration from these Halloween subject lines from some top entertainment brands:
After the last credit card statement, nobody expects another scary email from their bank. As a trusted institution, it’s best to tread carefully with your subject line. You don’t want to be seen as suspicious and marked as spam. Make sure your subject line clearly states the matter at hand – with Barclaycard, it’s fraud.
1. Barclaycard – Freddy, give fraud a fright this Halloween
Finally, adding some personalization to your subject line conveys trust, don’t you think, Mr Krueger?
Now you have the subject lines cracked, it’s time to create a campaign. Find everything you need in our blog post – Tips and tricks to create stunning Halloween emails.
While Halloween decor typically transforms homes into haunted abodes, these home décor companies showed how to bring the festivities to your inbox. See if you can’t unearth some ghoulish email subject lines for yourself with the help from these examples:
We’re not sure about you, but when it comes to transportation and Halloween, the first thing that comes to mind is Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, and the rest of the gang saving us from the supernatural in the Mystery Machine.
It has to be the most iconic Halloween automobile, right?
While we’re not expecting that much every time we jump into a rental, here are a few ideas for subject lines from fellow transportation/travel brands:
Strong Halloween email subject lines are essential for grabbing attention in crowded inboxes and setting the tone for your campaign. As the first point of contact, they drive open rates and complement your broader Halloween email strategy by creating intrigue, urgency, or seasonal relevance – ultimately boosting engagement and conversions during a high-traffic marketing moment.
But what exactly makes these headlines fit for Halloween?
The holidays are a time of fun and joviality, so take this opportunity to get creative. While writing your subject line, keep in mind that people love authenticity and fun, but be mindful not to stray away from the anchor that is your brand voice.
If your brand voice is human and approachable, then avoid overbearing or indecisive wording.
Take advantage of puns (Hallow-queen) and wordplay (All treats, no tricks) to set the stage for your email content and tap into the mystery and intrigue of Halloween by choosing out-the-box vocabulary like “enchanting”, “magical”, and “potion”.
Even mega corporates get in on the fun
If your brand voice allows so, you can also go wild with punctuation, including exclamations for excitement and question marks to challenge your reader. Use emojis to bring color and fun to people’s inboxes and tempt their cursor to take a look. Don’t abuse them, though – keep it to one to two emojis.
Halloween comes but once a year, so advertise your Halloween sale as “last chance”, creating a feeling of scarcity (or FOMO) in the reader. Your Halloween deals can tie in nicely with a countdown to Halloween marketing campaign. For instance, you could send “One week until…” or “3 days until…” emails to remind your subscribers they are running out of time.
Paper Source – Get These Spooky Best Sellers Before They Ghost!
As always, character length is key. Aim for no more than 40 characters to avoid being cut off by Hotmail, Live, and Yahoo Mail clients. There is evidence to suggest that shorter punchier subject lines can improve open rates. However, every audience is different. The only way to truly know your reader’s appetite is to A/B test a variety of subject lines to determine the winner.
Similarly, highlighting the value proposition of an email can improve open rates significantly. Don’t get lost in wishy-washy Halloween lingo – tell the reader why they should open the email. Whether it’s discounts, free gifts, ideas, or advice, make it clear in the subject header.
If you prefer to save the value proposition for your email body, try something short, mysterious, and punchy like this email from Etsy and use the preheader to complement your subject line.
Personalize your campaign with contact properties. Nothing grabs your attention more than hearing your own name. Your ears perk up – it’s a reflex response.
Yet, many email marketers still don’t personalize email marketing, giving you the competitive edge if you do. Go further by segmenting your subscriber lists into categories like age and gender. Put yourself in their shoes and adapt your tone of voice for that person.
Spam is such a dirty word that we should really call it s***. There are some misconceptions regarding subject line spam words – no, there’s no secret list out there that will take you straight to the spam folder – but certain terms can be deceiving and tend to get lower engagement and higher than normal complaint rates. Just think of all those emails promising a “free” gift. How many of those were actually “free”?
If your sender reputation and email engagement are high, the content of your subject lines probably won’t land your email in spam folders. But if your sender reputation and email engagement are low and you talk like a spammer, chances are you won’t land in the inbox. Spam is a complex and ever-changing subject, so check out our definitive guide on how to avoid spam filters.
When you have done everything you can, turn to robots for help. Try running your subject line(s) through an email subject line tester to see how it performs. Once your robot gives you the green light, run the template through an email preview software like Email on Acid to preview emails on all devices and clients.
While fear is a particularly relevant emotion considering the theme of this blog post, email marketers need to start overcoming it when it comes to AI. In some circles it’s still frowned upon, with traditionalists convinced AI is destroying the craft of copywriting, but that’s simply not true.
Listen, we’re not saying ChatGPT should write all your customer communications. After all, there’s nothing more important than that authentic human touch when it comes to building strong customer relationships.
But AI can help you push through writer’s block within seconds, saving hours in ideation and drafting. Your experience as an email marketing professional is then invaluable in honing that copy – something artificial intelligence cannot replace. But it’s always nice to get a little help to get things started, right?
Use Mailjet Assistant – an AI powered tool designed to quickly craft email content in a chat-like experience right within the email builder – to help with your Halloween email subject lines. You can then easily generate, refine, translate, and adjust your text with guided actions and contextual suggestions.
At Sinch Mailjet, we practice what we preach. So, we’ve decided to put ChatGPT to the test and get AI’s helping hand in coming up with 50 ideas you can use to kickstart your Halloween brainstorming sessions.
Below we’ve added 50 Halloween email subject lines coaxed out of Open AI’s generative model. Are they all usable off the bat? No. Are some of them frighteningly awful? Yes. That doesn’t mean they can’t be u to as inspiration for your own creative copy.
ChatGPT’s 50 subject line ideas to promote your sales and drive conversions during the Halloween shopping season:
At this point, you may have the most original and engaging subject line to grace the email space. But without A/B testing, you won’t know for sure. Let the audience decide what they like and dislike.
A/B testing is the practice of sending a variety of different subject lines to 20-35% of your audience. The winning subject line is decided by the highest open rate and will be sent to the remainder of your email list.
Here are some A/B test ideas for your Halloween email subject lines:
A/B testing is OK. But A/B/C/D/E/F/G testing is better. That’s why Mailjet’s A/B Testing feature allows you to test up to 10 versions of an email subject line simultaneously. Try a combination of the techniques mentioned above to create subject line variations for testing.
You could try 10 small variations of the same subject line. Or you could go with 10 totally different ideas altogether.
It’s that time of year to celebrate Halloween, go trick or treating, and get creative. However, between email design, AB testing, and subscriber list segmentation – there’s not enough time in the year to work on your marketing strategy.
Mailjet’s intuitive and collaborative email platform comes packed with tons of treats to help with those troublesome details, including two boo-tiful Halloween email templates for your campaigns.
Template examples from Mailjet’s Email Editor
Still looking for help with those Halloween subject lines? Check out Sinch Mailjet’s A/B Testing feature to automatically discover the best-performing headline. You can spend less time with the troublesome details and more time writing that killer subject line. We’ll look out for your Halloween email in our inbox soon!
This is an updated version of the post “21 Eye-Catching Halloween Email Subject Line Examples & Tips” written by Phil Adams and posted on the Sinch Mailjet blog in September 2022.
Effective Halloween email subject lines are attention-grabbing, seasonally relevant, and create a sense of curiosity, urgency, or excitement. It should align with your brand voice while tapping into Halloween themes like spookiness, treats, or limited-time offers to encourage opens.
The ideal length for a Halloween email subject line is between 30–50 characters. This ensures your message is fully visible on most devices, especially mobile, while leaving enough space to spark interest and include relevant seasonal keywords or emojis.
Yes, when used strategically, emojis and symbols can enhance Halloween subject lines by adding visual interest and reinforcing spooky or festive themes. Just be sure they align with your brand and don’t overpower the message –🕷️, 🎃, or 👻 are popular seasonal choices.
High-performing Halloween subject lines often include urgency, wordplay, or themed language. Examples include:
Testing variations can help identify what resonates best with your audience.
It’s best to begin sending Halloween-themed emails 2–3 weeks before October 31st, with teaser campaigns or product previews. This gives your audience time to plan purchases or events, while allowing you to build momentum through follow-up reminders or last-minute offers.
